Human Service Administration
A gap analysis is comparison between the actual and intended performance. This approach can be used by an organization to portray whether it is making the best of its current resources and capital investment. Most importantly, the results of this procedure indicate whether an organization is performing below its potential. Such an analysis can be efficient when used to evaluate the performance levels of a human service organization. A gap analysis can provide human service administrators with a comparison of the organizational performance to the operations of similar organizations. This essay is a gap analysis of Red Cross, a human service organization, compared to 4 similar human service organizations.
The American Red Cross
Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that offers emergency aid, catastrophe relief, and education to calamity victims around the world. The organization strives to maintain its values of compassion, collaboration, creativity, credibility, and commitment in all its operations (The American National Red Cross, 2015). The organizations mission statement is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and generosity of donors. The organizations vision should be perceived by the general population and associations they serve among others as a supplier of decision for blood, plasma and tissue administrations. This objective will be refined by responsibility to quality, security and utilization of the best therapeutic, logical, assembling and business hones.
The Gap Analysis
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Mission |
Vision |
Values |
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Arlington Academy of Hope
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It is a human services organization based in the United States that strives to aid children in rural regions of Uganda, Africa, to attain their full potential (Arlington Academy of Hope, 2012). The organization builds schools and health clinics so that the rural communities can improve their living standards and transform their villages into self-sustaining communities.
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To establish healthcare and educational models in every village in which the organization is presented. To develop new standards of academic excellence so as to prepare the children in such regions for adult lives that contribute to the developments of their communities. To encourage the communities to adopt and develop technologies in order to provide services to the surrounding regions.
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Integrity: responsibly and strategically employ the resources of talent, time and money. Education: the representatives of AAH believe that all children are entitled to quality education and basic healthcare. Respect: As a manifestation of valuing the Ugandan cultures and traditions, AAH actions respect ideas, and perspectives of the diverse Ugandan people. Communication: the organization honestly and openly shares their ideas and includes all entities in the organizational decision-making process. Partnership: the organization fosters and cherishes teamwork, and values its relationships with all volunteers, donors, as well as sponsors as they work to achieve their goals. Passion for serving: the organization empowers the community members to assist children and other persons in need, while developing and strengthening the organization in a constructive and beneficial way.
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International Rescue Committee (IRC)
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The vision of IRC is to implement programs that support the children and youths in crisis-prone areas around the world (WHO, 2015). The organizations vision is to provide all children and youth with the environment that is resilient, protected, and able to develop to its full potential. IRC envisions at creating better preventive measures and response to cruelty, exploitation, and neglect of children.
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The organization responds to the globes worst humanitarian crises and helps the affected persons to endure, recuperate and rebuild their lives. IRC restores security, poise, and hopes to millions of persons who are displaced and struggling to endure. The IRC shows the affected a path from harm to home. |
Compassion: the organization is both compassionate and sympathetic to the plight of displaced persons, refugees, and victims of war. IRC acts with all sincerity in taking actions meant to alleviate the distress of the affected. Commitment: IRC has a commitment to aid refugees, victims of war, and displaced persons by offering them the essentials to ease their suffering. Solidarity: the organization believes that it is important to maintain a strong solidarity with all the displaced and refugees. Diversity: the organization provides relief services to diverse populations of victims of war, refugees, and displaced persons. Other values of IRC are flexibility, efficiency, opposition to oppression, collegiality, and proactivity.
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The Salvation Army
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Its vision is to provide food, clothing, care and comfort to the poor in society. The organization strives to reconstruct broken homes, help the addicted to recover, fight poverty and hunger, and share the Christian Gospel with followers by meeting their tangible needs.
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The mission of the organization is to preach the Christianity Gospel of Jesus Christ and meet the human necessities of the needy in society without discrimination.
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Human dignity: protects human dignity by providing the weak and poor with basic material needs support. Justice: fight for the rights of the poor without discrimination. Hope: offer hope to the people of the world by preaching to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Compassion: the organization strives to show compassion to all the disadvantaged persons in society.
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Differences and Similarities Chart
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Red Cross |
Arlington Academy of Hope |
International Rescue Committee (IRC) |
The Salvation Army |
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Similarities |
Offer relief in a form of food and basic amenities to persons affected by global calamities. Offer health services to injured victims of war and violence around the world. |
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Differences |
The Red Cross Foundation offers blood to persons wounded or injured during a calamity. AAH empowers children in Africa with education to improve their living standards. IRC offers a safe sanctuary to children affected by various calamities globally. The Salvation Army gives hope to persons by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. |
Explanation of the Gap in Services
From the gap analysis chart, it is evident that the Red Cross movement needs to increase its operation in helping persons during calamities. The organization is primarily focused on offering medical first aids, treatment and evacuation services to people affected by various natural disasters globally. Nevertheless, to ensure its full performance, it should empower people though education, similarly to the AAH. The analyzed organization needs also offer a safe sanctuary to persons in war-torn regions, such as the IRC. Finally, Red Cross should offer hope to the people by sharing the teachings of various religious beliefs, like the Salvation Army.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, a gap analysis is an excellent evaluation tool to determine whether an organization is performing at its desired levels. This method compares the actual state of affairs to the desired performance of an organization. The approach can be used by a humanitarian service organization to evaluate its functioning, especially in light of comparing the organizations performance with the operations of other organizations offering the same services. The Red Cross is among the most prevalent humanitarian organizations in the world. A gap analysis was used to compare its performance with the functioning of Arlington Academy of Hope, International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Salvation Army.